- I’m 29, live in Toronto and work freelance in communications research.
- Since Fall 2010, this blog has been dedicated to my health and fitness, documenting day-to-day as I navigate my way through the hurdles and triumphs of living a balanced lifestyle. You'll find lots of food pics, along with reflections, milestones and updates on my weight training, spinning, and whatever else I incorporate in my quest to be as awesome as possible.
- MUSCLE GAIN!
- CW: 128 lbs
- Deadlift: 255 lbs
- Squat: 140 lbs
- Leg Press: 520 lbs
- 5K: 33:13
New bodybuilding.com order arrived today. it won’t last anywhere near as long as you’d think…
side note: Syntha 6 is by far the most delicious whey on the market. hardly an iso (up to 15g carbs per serving), the chocolate peanut butter may as well be dessert.
Home alone for a month means I don’t have to share my kale…!
We’re always burning calories, no matter what our bodies are doing. That’s the entire reason why we need to eat - It takes energy in order to stay alive. So measuring out calories in terms of only exercise seems so silly. We’re going to use them at some point, even if we don’t exercise with the specific purpose of burning them off.
So I prefer to measure these calories in the time it takes me to sleep them off:
- Donut: 3.7 hours
- Egg McMuffin: 4.8 hours
- Cookie: 7 hours
- Pizza: 5.1 hours
- Rice: 4.3 hours
- Cinnamon Bun: 8 hours
- Burger: 12 hours
- Brownie: 6 hours
- Fries: 8.7 hours
- Burrito: 6.6 hours
A burger is much less intimidating once you realize that you can burn it off by just laying in bed all day. Literally.
Sleep times are assuming a BMR of 1,500.
Mine’s 1,400 - close enough :)
(via the-exercist)
I downloaded this app called Meal Snap that’s supposed to recognize food you photograph and estimate the calories.
Turns out it’s actually kinda mean.
it’s like, I know I overcooked the meat, but you don’t have to be so harsh about it. It’s still food…
Going to post in detail about my squats sometime soon. Lots to tell.
But for now - huge deadlift PR today: 245lbs! Felt like I was going to pass out after 1 rep, but that’s enough for me :)
2,200 calories today - nice little surplus to refuel. Back to the 1,800 range tomorrow.
The appetite of countries such as ours for this grain has pushed up prices to such an extent that poorer people in Peru and Bolivia, for whom it was once a nourishing staple food, can no longer afford to eat it. Imported junk food is cheaper.
Eat local. This isn’t just directed at vegetarians. Health and fitness is important, but no matter what one’s nutritional label (paleo, vegan, omnivore), our macros are not worth the lives of millions of peasant farmers and their families.
I eat maybe 75% paleo. This link is for my own reference, though - a meta-analysis that associates whole grains with a decreased risk of heart disease, diabetes and weight gain.
This contributes to the paleo vs. vegan debate, and serves as further proof that some kind of balance may be the best answer (for me, anyways).
Back home. Hit the gym on vacation 4 out of the 5 full days I was there (not including the day I arrived), but also had some pretty ridiculous eats and drank excessively on two occasions.
So, we’re back to the grind now. Eating clean (no alcohol, added sugar or processed carbs), trying to get enough sleep, etc.
I really, really want to be leaner. I want to lift heavier, too, but I think I’m going to focus on fat loss for a little bit and see how it goes.
Also really wish I was still here:
Game changer.
Weigh In:
127.4lbs.
I was 131ish on Sept 2nd when I started cutting, and lost a couple in that first week, but didn’t do another weigh in after that. I was worried about what my Asia trip did, but it looks like my as-frequent-as-possible workouts, fairly balanced food choices, and miles upon miles of walking kept me on track. Great news :)
